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(No Model!) R. H. SMALL.

TAIL P IEGB FOR BANJOS AND VIOLINS. .No. 517,493. Patented Apr. 3, 1894.

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ROBERT 1-1. SMALL, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO MILO E. HAYES, OF SAME PLACE.

TAILPIECE FOR BANJOS OR VIOLINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,493, dated April 3, 1894.

Application filed January 1'7, 1894. Serial No. 4971133- (N0 m del To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. SMALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tailpieces for Banjos, Violins, &c., said improvement being fully set forth and described in the following specification,reference being had to the accom pan ying sheet of drawings.

This invention has relation to that class of tail pieces for-banjos which are formed with angular ends having slits that are in alignment with the strings, and it consists in the peculiar construction thereof, substantially as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

The particular object of my invention is to cheapen the construction of tail pieces of the class stated, and also to so construct said tail piece that when the strings are drawn taut the tendency of the strain will be to draw the knotted ends of said strings more tightlyinto the slits.

To more clearly explain my invention I have provided the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a banjo head having my improved tail-piece in use therewith and Fig. 2 shows, considerably enlarged, plan and end views of said tail-piece. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the same and Fig. 4 a sectional View taken on line :r-oc of Fig. 2.

In the drawings the letter a indicates the banjo head, 5 the tail-piece as a whole, and c the strings. Said tail-piece is, preferably, formed of sheet metal and is perforated at one end, as at b, to engage the usual stud, or other support 0 which is securely fastened to the rim of the instrument. The opposite end of plate I) is of considerable width, as best seen inv Fig. 2, and is bent downward at a right angle forminga cross-bar b that is provided in its upper edge with slits b corresponding in number and relative positions with the strings to be used with the instrument. Plate bis cut away, forming an open space, immediately in the rear of the slitted bar 6 as at b, and it will also be noted that the top edge of said bar is somewhat below the plane of plate I).

WVhen it is desired to use a tail-piece of my described construction, knots are first tied in the ends of the strings and said strings are then forced downward into the slits b as illustrated in Fig.4:of the drawings; the opening b providing meanwhile clear space for the knots as they pass downward. The top or slitted portion of bar 5 is preferably bent rearward (2., toward the hole b') so that when the strings c are drawn taut the tendency of the strain will be to draw the knotted ends of said strings more tightly into the slits 5 rather than to cause them to pull out of said slits.

My described tail-piece may be very cheaply manufactured and is believed to be more convenient to operate and less injurious to the strings than devices of this class now in use.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A tail piece for banjos and like articles, formed of sheet metal and consisting of abody of plate form, perforated at one end and formed at its other end with a right angular slitted cross bar having its top below the plane of the body plate; said body plate being cutaway at the rear of said cross bar, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. Atail-piece of the classreferred to,formed of sheet metal and consisting of a body of plate form perforated at one end and having at its other end a slitted right angular crossbar whose upper edge is below the plane of the body part and bent slightly rearward, as set forth; the body portion of the tail-piece being cut away as at b, all substantially as specified.

ROBERT H. SMALL.

Witnesses:

FRANK II. ALLEN, LILA D. PEALE. 

